William of Malines

William of Messines (French Guillaume de Messines, † September 27, 1145 ) was Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

As historian Hans Eberhard Mayer noticed he is from mesas (French Messines ) in Flanders and not as in older literature indicated from Mechelen ( Malines French ). In older literature, it is inaccurate also named according to William of Malines.

In spite of Flemish origin, he lived as a hermit in the vicinity of Tours before in the wake of Fulk V of Anjou in 1129, he traveled to Palestine. There he became prior of the Holy Sepulchre. As the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Stephan died from La Ferté in the spring of 1130, William was his successor.

Unlike his predecessors, he did not appear in opposition to the respective King of Jerusalem, but established good relations.

After King Baldwin II of Jerusalem had died, he crowned September 14, 1131 in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, his successor Melisende and her husband Fulk V of Anjou.

As the road between Jerusalem and the nearest seaport of Jaffa was still made ​​resistant unsure of robbers, the pilgrims rushed forward, and the food supply of Jerusalem broke off, took William in 1133, while King Fulk to his army was in the north, a campaign against the hijackers. In the vicinity of Bait Nuba, where the road from Lydda ascends into the mountains, he had a castle Chastel Ernaut build. 1135 he built the castle Gibelin for the same purpose.

In 1137 he led under entrainment of the Holy Cross an army to the relief of Mont Ferrand, where King Fulk was included after a defeat against Zengi.

After Fulkos death he crowned in the Holy Sepulchre, his son and heir, Baldwin III. on December 25, 1143 to co-regent alongside Melisende.

When he died in 1145, Fulk of Angoulême, the Archbishop of Tyre, the Wilhelm himself had consecrated 1134/35 was his successor as Patriarch of Jerusalem.